"Imagine the scene in Casablanca in which the French patrons sing La Marseillaise in defiance of the Germans, then multiply its power by a factor of thousands, and you've only begun to imagine the force of The Singing Revolution." - The New York Times
Most people don't think about singing when they think about revolution.
But song was the weapon of choice when Estonians sought to free themselves from decades of Soviet occupation. The Singing Revolution is an inspiring account of one nation's dramatic rebirth. It is the story of humankind's irrepressible drive for freedom and self-determination.
The Singing Revolution documents how, between 1987 and 1991, hundreds of thousands of Estonians gathered publicly to sing forbidden patriotic songs and to listen to protest speeches, risking their lives to proclaim their desire for independence. The revolutionary songs they created anchored Estonia's struggle for freedom, which was ultimately accomplished without the loss of a single life.
The Educational 1.1 version is a 3-disk set specifically designed for middle and high school classes. 25 lesson plans were developed for a variety of subject areas using additional source materials, including 30 printable documents, four hours of interviews, newsreels and PowerPoint maps of Europe. Most lesson plans have been designed to fit within a 50-minute class period.
This is a unique product with a variety of lesson options including lessons on nonviolent revolution, the power of music, the influence of geography on a country's history, and much more. You may review the complete lesson plans by clicking "Teaching Resources" above.
The Singing Revolution covers numerous educational standards across several subject areas including Arts Education, Language Arts, and Social Studies for Grades 7-12. To find which standards it covers specific to your grade, subject area, and which standards your district follows, use our Standards Alignment tool. Each lesson has its own standards listing to assist teachers more clearly in planning their lessons.